Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is considering whether to expand a program that distributes condoms to gay inmates at the Men’s Central Jail.

The program, which Baca approved eight years ago, makes condoms available once a week to 300 inmates within the segregated unit. The expansion contemplated by Baca would double the distribution.

The Lifestyle condoms are distributed by the nonprofit Center for Health Justice. Since the project began, more than 43,655 condoms have been given inmates.

Baca’s decision will come as a yearlong pilot condom distribution program at the California State Prison at Solano enters its eighth month. Health advocates said that a successful review of that program could lead to widespread distribution of condoms in prisons throughout the state.

Sheriff’s officials acknowledge that the HIV virus is a prominent problem in the jails. They spend about $2 million each year in federally refundable money on HIV/AIDS medication and identify about 65 new cases each month.

On average there are about 1,400 people in L.A. County jails with HIV each year, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said.

“Sex in jails is against the law, but there is a public health issue that needs to be considered,” Whitmore said. “There’s a paradox here.”